Member Profile

Catalunya

Presentation of the Region

Catalonia is a nation with over a thousand years of history with a dynamic and internationalised economy. Without a rich endowment of natural resources, Catalonia’s economic activity has always depended on its ability to connect to the rest of the world. Motivated by necessity, Catalonia has developed a skill for reaching out and connecting over the years that has become the area’s major talents and today makes Catalonia an unbeatable meeting point for international business.

Catalonia has an active and innovative business community and a strong research and innovation system, including internationally recognised universities, research and technology centres. Catalonia is one of the main poles of attraction for foreign direct investment in Europe, it concentrates more than 25% of Spanish exports and 1% of the world’s total scientific production per inhabitant. Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, it is also the World’s mobile capital and iCapital of Europe.

Catalonia has adopted Europe 2020 priorities through the Catalonia 2020 Strategy, which is the Catalan Government’s roadmap for relaunching the economy and consolidating Catalonia as an industrially-based country, with an open, competitive and sustainable economy combining talent, creativity, a diversified business ecosystem and its own research system of excellence, all within a dynamic, entrepreneurial and inclusive society.

RIS3 Priorities

The Catalan Smart Specialisation Strategy for Innovation (RIS3CAT) is focus on enhancing the competitiveness of the business fabric by improving the efficiency of production processes; promoting new emerging economic activities through research, creativity and innovation; consolidating Catalonia as a European knowledge hub and making global improvements to the Catalan system of innovation.

Political Representatives
Pere Aragonès

President of the Government of Catalonia

Regional Contact Persons
Montserrat Casas

Senior Manager European Affairs

Brussels Contact Persons
Ana Coelho

Director Delegation in Brussels - BELUX countries & EU funding

Regional Address

Passeig de Gràcia, 129
08008 Barcelona Barcelona
Spain

Brussels Office Address

Rue de la Loi, 227
1040 Brussels
Belgium

Our Pilots

ESM Plenary Event: the achievements of 2021 and the future plans for 2022

On the 9th of December the final event of the Efficient and Sustainable Manufacturing Pilot take place, co-coordinated by Giacomo Copani (AFIL, Lombardy), Patrick

welder, welding, industry
ESM Smart Plastics Hub selected for support by the TAF program of S3 platform

Within the demo-case “Polymers based functional products” of ESM p

printer, 3d, print
3D-printing Pilot gathered for online plenary meeting on 2 April

On April 2nd, the 3D-printing (3DP) Pilot of the Vanguard Initiative held its 11th Plenary Meeting.

matrix, communication, software
DigiPrime - new Horizon 2020 project within the ESM Pilot

“DigiPrime – Digital Manufacturing Platforms for Connected Smart Factories” is a new project developed and successfully submitted to Horizon 2020 by the ESM Pilot’s demo-case De-and Remanufacturing

welder, welding, work
ESM Pilot closes 2019 reflecting on its role in the new programming period

The ESM Pilot annual meeting took place in Brussles on 13th December.

european parliament, strasbourg, flags
Vanguard Initiative meets the European Parliament to foster Industrial Policies in Europe

On Wednesday 8 October 2014, representatives of the Vanguard Initiative’s Regions met several MEPs for a fruitful discussion on industrial policy.

job, office, team
Circular Economy Hotspot Catalonia 2021

Catalonia region would like to invite you to explore business opportunities and best practices, during the upcoming Circular Economy Hotspot Catalon